Youth Employment Accord

New Growth Path: Accord 6

On 18 April 2013, a 2000 strong crowd of young people cheered as representatives from Government and social partners signed the Youth Employment Accord at Hector Pieterson Memorial in Soweto. The Accord sets out the joint commitment to prioritise youth employment and skills development.

 The Accord is one in a series of social pacts that are intended to help achieve the New Growth Path goal of five million new jobs by 2020. The parties will now work together to implement the Accord and report on their progress on a regular basis. This Accord was signed on behalf of the following social partners:

  • Organised labour: comprising of COSATU, FEDUSA and NACTU, represented by Sidumo Dlamini, Dennis George and Narius Moloto;
  • Business represented by Jabu Mabuza of Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), Ndaba Ntsele of the Black Business Council (BBC) and Thero Setiloane of Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA).
  • Community constituencies at NEDLAC, comprising organisations of women, civic structures, people with disabilities and cooperative organisations, represented by Dumisani Mthalane;
  • Youth Organisations represented by Thulani Tshefuta (South African Youth Council), Mzwandile Masina (ANC Youth League), Themba Masondo (SASCO), Thapelo Maleke (SA Youth Chamber of Commerce), Buti Manamela (YCL), Collen Mpyane (Alliance of Youth NGOs), Gana Makashule (DA Youth), Tumelo Zwane (SAYRO), Itumeleng Madisha (SACSA),Thabo Majola (SA Union of Students) and Mxolisi Sonti (SACC Youth Forum);
  • Government represented by Ministers Collins Chabane (Performance Monitoring and Evaluation), Blade Nzimande (Higher Education and Training), Lindiwe Sisulu (Public Service and Administration), Gugile Nkwinti (Rural Development and Land Reform), Thulas Nxesi (Public Works), Edna Molewa (Water and Environmental Affairs), Ebrahim Patel (Economic Development), Richard Baloyi (Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs), Rob Davies (Trade and Industry), Susan Shabangu (Mineral Resources) and Mildred Oliphant (Labour).

The NYDA’s Executive Chairperson Mr Yershen Pillay was present at the signing of the Youth Employment Accord as a witness to this historic event that is set to propel change, accelerated and foreground the issues sounding youth unemployment and economic participation.

In response to the signing of the Youth Accord, in October 2013 the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and Small Enterprise Finance Agency (sefa) launched a R3.1-billion initiative aimed at providing funding opportunities to businesses owned by young entrepreneurs – 35 years old or younger. The three-way partnership between the IDC, sefa and the NYDA is a catalyst for developing viable youth entrepreneurship and making youth active participants in the national economy and job creation.